If we agree with the YEC claim that equates inerrancy and YEC, then it
seems to me that we are unwittingly promoting YEC in the Christian
community.
Benjamin Warfield, famous as a defender of inerrancy, who introduced the
use of the word inerrancy to describe his position, was not a YEC. James
Orr, one of the main contributors to The Fundamentals, was not a YEC. The
International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, although tolerant of YEC, was
perceived as being uncomfortable with the YEC position since it gave
critics of YEC the major role in its discussion of science.
The current YEC flood theory has a lineage traceable to Ellen G. White's
writings. To defend this, YEC's have resorted to giving very bizarre
interpretations to scripture passages that appear to conflict with their
theory. This is not the approach that one usually associates with
inerrancy.
Given that some of the strongest proponents of inerrancy reject YEC, it
seems that to equate inerrancy with YEC involves exchanging their
understanding of what that term means for a caricature of it.
Gordon Brown
Department of Mathematics
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0395
On Mon, 20 Aug 2001 PHSEELY@aol.com wrote:
> My experience with YEC's is that they have felt uneasy about "not believing
> the Bible." In reality, they have been so indoctrinated and emotionally taken
> with the extra-biblical doctrine of an "absolutely inerrant Bible" that this
> is what they really find peace with when they become YEC's.
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